1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a visual simulation apparatus to be suitably used for the development of programs for operating processors incorporated in electronic equipment such as a radio and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Programs for operating processors incorporated in an electronic apparatus such as a radio are normally prepared by editing and assembling source files on a host computer which are then down-loaded on an emulator connected to the apparatus that incorporates the processors, where the programs will be debugged. The operation of down-loading programs on an emulator is, however, rather time consuming.
The time required to down load programs on an emulator can be reduced by providing the host computer with simulation programs for the target apparatus. Then, the effect of reducing the time required for developing programs can become more remarkable because all the works to be done for the program development can be carried out on the host computer.
A simulation apparatus equipped with programs for carrying out simulating operations normally comprises personal computers and engineering work stations (EWSs) as principal components and the construction and operation of the target apparatus can be simulated by using the simulation programs stored in the EWSs. The simulation apparatus displays the results obtained by the simulating operation for the target apparatus on a display unit which is also a component of the simulation apparatus.
FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a set of information displayed on the display screen of the display unit of a conventional simulation apparatus. The information on the display screen includes the contents of the source list 1 for a processor to be incorporated in the target apparatus, the contents of the basic registers 2 including the program counters, the memory dump list 3 and the commands 4 entered into the simulation apparatus.
A conventional simulation apparatus having a configuration as described above is designed to simulate the construction and operation of a processor chip only, and to operate in such a simple manner as to delay a signal transmitted from an output terminal by a given period of time and to supply the delayed signal to an input terminal. Therefore, it is normally not capable of simulating on a real-time basis the operation of peripheral devices such as a key matrix for a number of switches and a liquid crystal display unit if the target apparatus is a radio.
Accordingly, the conventional simulator can be used only in the initial stage of the developing a soft-ware, and it is difficult with such a simulator to simulate the operation of the target apparatus as a real apparatus.